Photo by Dennis Daniel

My dear Films In Review readers…my fellow film lovers…my cinematic adoring brothers and sisters…it is with great pride and happiness that I herein present four words I’m sure you, as fellow cinema lovers, will surely appreciate…four words that I never thought I’d ever be able to utter in this lifetime:

I met David Lynch.

I not only met him, I was able to sit and have a nice chat with him, on camera. More about where you can see that later.

First off, I’d like to speak about…adjectives.

Imagine the level of genius it must take to create work of such originality, beauty and complexity, your work becomes so iconic and associated with you that your very name becomes an adjective!

As far as I know…there are only two directors who have accomplished this: Federico Fellini with “Felliniesque” which is defined as: Blending reality and fantasy as Federico Fellini does in his movies…and David Lynch with “Lynchian,” defined as: Having the same balance between the macabre and the mundane. A juxtaposition of perversion with Americana. [Editor's note - admittedly it goes much further back into film history, but "Chaplinesque" was an oft-used cinemadjective as well…]

Perversion and Americana. The macabre and the mundane. Yep. That’s ol’ David alright.

As a true lover of his work, I often wondered how Lynch mixed and matched these various concepts. What train did he catch that brought him to these destinations? The answer is quite surprising…

Transcendental Meditation.

In fact, TM is the springboard that allowed me the chance to meet Lynch. Although he has pretty much shied away from publicity and public speaking for most of his career… the current state of the world, along with a strong desire to share how TM can be a wonderful addition to educational programs, has moved Lynch onto the lecture circuit. His lectures are a fascinating combination of questions and answers about his films and his art, mixed with his heartfelt belief in the healing and transcending power of TM, and how it can truly help the world be a more peaceful place.

Lynch recently gave a lecture at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, Long Island…and it is here that I was able to experience the epiphany of actually getting to speak one on one with one of the most iconic filmmakers of our time.

Drawing by Richard Pascucci

But still…David Lynch and TM? I mean…let’s face it… Lynch, whose unconventional mind has brought us such cinematic puzzle boxes as ERASERHEAD, BLUE VELVET, WILD AT HEART, LOST HIGHWAY, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, and the off-kilter TV series ‘Twin Peaks”, is not the first guy you’d associate with the image of someone at peace with his inner self…meditating in a state of bliss, calm and happiness. Yet the inner well from which his creativity is drawn springs from his practicing the technique of Transcendental Meditation, twice a day, for the last 32 years and counting. I say “technique” because that is exactly what it is. A very simple, very precise way of focusing within to help expand the mind’s ability to function with infinite creative potential.

At first, Lynch wasn’t even interested in trying. “When I first heard about meditation, I had zero interest in it. I wasn’t even curious. It sounded like a waste of time.” But, like all great artists who are constantly searching for inspiration, he decided to give it a try. “What got me interested was the phrase ‘true happiness lies within.’ It had a ring of truth…and I began to think that maybe meditation was a way to go within.”

Lynch so firmly believes in the transcending powers of TM, he’s even written a book entitled, “Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.” In it, he describes how TM has helped him stay creative and healthy for the past three decades. “It sounds strange at first,” said Lynch, 62, “But then, when you start doing it and seeing your life getting better and better, you can’t believe it. You had anger, and it goes away. When that blanket of fear, stress and anger starts lifting, this is freedom.” It is this expansion of the mind that provides the necessary room to see the world differently. Lynch acquaints this newfound mind expansion to “diving within” and “catching ideas like fish.”

To the uninformed person, Transcendental Meditation may seem like some kind of crackpot religion or cult. Images of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, The Beatles, flower power, and gurus trying to float while meditating, may come to mind. Point of fact, the TM program is the most thoroughly researched and widely practiced program in the world for developing the full creative potential of the brain and mind, reducing stress, and improving academic outcomes. A number of scientific studies have also confirmed Transcendental Meditation’s overall health benefits. There is plenty of well-documented research showing that it’s effective for a variety of problems, from helping to reduce stress to helping to reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure.

It is because of Lynch’s belief in all the benefits that Transcendental Meditation can provide to the world, that this relatively reclusive artist, (with a fear of public speaking, to boot) has committed his mind, heart and soul into launching a major world lecture tour, to spread awareness of TM, while also trying to raise 20 million dollars in funds for the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, to help teach TM to inner-city schoolchildren and to college students to provide consciousness-based education as a way to lower stress and help expand learning and retention abilities. Ultimately, he hopes to raise $7 billion to create and endow seven “universities of world peace.” Lynch adds, “Consciousness-based education is not a luxury. For our children who are growing up in a stressful, often frightening, crisis-ridden world, it is a necessity. ”

His devotion to this cause is so personal and heartfelt, he has practically devoted the last two years of his life to lecturing all over the world about the benefits of TM, while helping to raise money and awareness for his foundation. “We want to ensure that any child who wants to learn and practice the Transcendental Meditation program can do so, ” says Lynch. “We provide scholarships for students to learn the technique and to receive the complete follow-up program of instruction throughout their student year.”

Since Lynch’ films have a reputation for portraying very violent and surreal images, it was only natural that someone during the lecture would pose the question, “If you’re a person who is at bliss, why are your films so full of terror and violence?” Lynch just smiled and said, “You don’t have to suffer to show suffering.”

Fair enough.

CLICK TO SEE THE DENNIS DANIEL INTERVIEW WITH DAVID LYNCH, AS WELL AS HIS VIDEO INTRO

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LYNCH’S TM FOUNDATION: www.davidlynchfoundation.org

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CINEMA ARTS CENTRE: www.cinemaartscentre.org

Having been an FM Rock radio disc jockey on Long Island for over 25 years (and counting), I can see why ‘Films In Review’ editor Roy Frumkes deemed me worthy to review this wonderful documentary about the BIG 8, a 50,000 Watt Canadian Top 40 radio station that beamed its signal into the ears, minds and hearts of listeners all over the world, and practically dictated the way in which hits were chosen, formats were created, artists were plugged, and news was broadcast on Top 40 radio for over three decades in the western hemisphere.

But…before I begin, let me make it perfectly clear to you all…this film is by no means just for those who love Top 40 radio, especially the way it used to sound in the 60’s and 70’s. This is the story of a bygone era of entertainment and a way of doing business in the music industry that has totally vanished from the face of the earth.

It seems incomprehensible that there once was a time when the very lifeblood of the music industry, the way in which hit songs were chosen and played, was dictated by the play-list choices made by a select number of radio station program directors throughout the country. Nowadays, there are innumerable ways for artists to expose and plug their products to the consumer. (Can you say, “download?”) From ipods, to itunes, to websites, to satellites to a vast multitude of radio stations offering every known musical format under the sun, traditional mass media outlets alone no longer dictate what the consumer hears. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Now the CONSUMERS, and the TECHNOLOGY at their fingertips, tell the media what they want, when they want it, and how they want to hear it. Already, an entire generation exists that doesn’t even remember when there were just a handful of TV and radio stations to choose from. Even the bygone days of MTV (when it really meant “MUSIC TELEVISION”) are but a memory. All one has to do is go online, on cable, or on satellite TV, and choose from dozens of music channels or services like LAUNCH on Yahoo, to see videos wherever and whenever they want.

In the days when less media outlets actually meant more exposure, artists and record labels had to work hundreds of times harder to get their material played on powerhouse stations that delivered to millions of faithful listeners. Such was the case with the mighty CKLW…aka…BIG 8. This Canadian juggernaut of a radio station blasted its signal to over 62 million listeners across the North Atlantic. (Hey, we’re talking 50,000 watts here, folks. A signal like that can actually be picked up virtually anywhere!) Located directly across the street from the ‘Motor City’ – Detroit, Michigan – this mountainous mega monster of Top 40 music mania was the epicenter of all things rock and soul in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. If BIG 8 didn’t play it, no one did. It simply just didn’t exist.

This thorough, enjoyable and eye-opening documentary takes you back to when the very act of getting on big time AM Top 40 radio meant instant stardom. What makes the story all the more interesting is that the BIG 8 signal was from Canada. In no other time in Canadian or American history has there ever been any entity emanating from Canada that had such power and influence over an entire genre of American music and entertainment.

To put it country simple…this was THE ONLY radio station that mattered!

The DJ’s were the absolute cream of the crop. Personalities that just burst with life, vitality, and charisma! They knew how to talk up a tune, fast and furious. They had big, god-like booming voices that vibrated your entire being. They were HUGE! Bigger stars than many of the artists they played. Every DJ in the world wanted to be a DJ on the BIG 8. The BIG 8 was the BIG TIME!! Imagine the power they must have felt! They opened their mouths and spoke to MILLIONS! Over 62 MILLION, to be precise! Now that’s POWER!!!

The BIG 8 also changed the face of radio journalism by creating a new reading style that was more National Enquirer than National Broadcast Company. These news guys had only one mission…find the dirtiest, raunchiest, most horrendous, most foul stories imaginable…stories that pointed out the tremendous lows our human race is capable of (rape, arson, murder, corruption), and play them up TO THE HILT for every second of sick entertainment value they were worth!

You’ll have a ball listening to the way the BIG 8 news copywriters would create horrendous rhymes to give each news story a sick, twisted pitch, guaranteed to sucker listeners in. When you hear things like, “MAN MURDERS HIS OWN MOM WHEN CAUGHT MALINGERING WITH ANOTHER MAN,” well, hot damn, sucker …who wouldn’t want to stay to listen to more of that? The idea was to make the news as entertaining as the music. Brilliant.

Most amazing of all was how the station influenced the music industry and helped begin the careers of people like Elton John, The Who, Kiss, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, Marvin Gaye, The Guess Who, Martha Reeve and the Vandelles, The Ohio Players, Tony Orlando, Steppenwolf and hundreds more. Through archival footage and present day interviews with the principles and artists involved, you become totally catapulted into a time and era whose workings are long gone. Of course, the music from all these artists can be heard through the soundtrack, creating a wondrous time tunnel of sights and sounds.

Sad as it is to say, all good things must come to an end…and the political forces that reigned during the 1980’s in Canada decided that a Canadian station should devote more of its airtime to Canadian artists…and we all know how many great acts from Canada there are. (Oh, don’t get me wrong…there are a bunch…but not enough to sustain an entire radio station’s programming day.) And so, once again, politics destroyed all that was good, pure and fun in the world. Bastards!

Even though I myself had never heard of the station, there’s no denying that it influenced the kind of music and DJ style I was listening to, living on Long Island, from stations like WINS, WNEW-FM and WABC.

For those of us who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s especially, this documentary is a loving tribute to the power of radio, music, and the imagination. We shall never see its like again.

SPECIAL EDITION DVD FEATURES: Over an hour of extra scenes, outtakes, extended versions of interviews, and a picture gallery are included here, along with rare vintage graphics, production stills and ear candy audio from The BIG 8. Sit back and enjoy!

To order this film online, go to: www.radiorevolutiondvd.com

Credits:
Director & Writer: Michael McNamara
Producers: Judy Holm & Michael McNamara
Editor: Roderick Deogrades
Music: Kurt Swinghammer
Design: Shafik Jaffer
Production Manager: Kelly Jenkins

“Art has always been inspired by beauty because art is the greatest frame of mind to express a certain feeling.”
Daniel Johnston

One of the most wonderful things about being alive is; you learn something new every day. Entire worlds exist out there that you have no clue about one day, and the next, you find yourself entrenched, imbedded and overwhelmed within their confines. Such is the situation you may find yourself in after experiencing THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON, one of the most heartfelt, absorbing and amazing documentaries I have ever seen. Since seeing it, I have entered the world of Daniel Johnston and have a feeling I may never truly leave.

I was first drawn to this film by an image…a full-page ad for the movie in The Village Voice. It consisted of a primitively drawn cartoon showing a singer, guitar in hand, with his head sliced open to the elements in a clean circular cut, burst of air shooting out, performing in the center of a crowd filled with similar head-sliced-open look-alikes, all watching his performance, arms raised in concert-goer glee. Little did I know that this startling graphic screaming at me would be the first of many hundreds of like-minded images that would dance before my eyes, mind and heart in wondrous, magical ways I almost forgot were possible.

The question lay before me, begging an answer. “Who in the hell is this Daniel Johnston?” If you are like me, by the time you find out, your perceptions may never be the same about all the ingredients that constitute art, life, love, heaven, hell, right, wrong and…madness.

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON tells the true story of a man who is filled with so much joy, so much life, so much talent, so much energy, so much unbridled creative spark and imagination…that he literally and figuratively loses his mind trying to share it all with us. The process and the pain involved in his need to express his feelings are so intense, dangerous and utterly devastating, that his very life and sanity must always be in a state of flux in order for us, his audience, to receive the blessings and gifts of his immense genius.

From a recent Daniel Johnston exhibit in NYC

Sound familiar? Think Van Gogh. Think Plath. Think Morrison. Think Kerouac. Think Cobain. Think tortured artist…and you’re there.

There is no denying that the connections between art, genius and mental illness have always been there…always been fascinating…but have never been fully explained or understood. Let’s face it, try as we might, no one, be they relative, lover, scientist or doctor, can ever be inside these people as they go through the process that leads to their creations. What truly makes those synapses fire is still a mystery. It is the mystery that makes them fascinating. We can now add Daniel Johnston to the list.

When Daniel was a young boy, his folks knew right away that he was “different.” This difference manifested itself in all kinds of artistic endeavors bursting with creativity; like making short Super 8 films, learning, writing and playing music, drawing, and performing. Daniel, like so many great artists, began his journey by absorbing all that he loved (The Beatles, Cartoons, Comic Books) and then finding ways to regurgitate it out in a form he could call his own. His folks actually worried about what Daniel would contribute to society since he seemed more obsessed with his creative projects than he was with school, church, or chores. For some teenagers, this is a normal path that leads to growth in other areas. For Daniel, it was his M.O. 24/7 365. In short, it was his life.

What neither Daniel nor his parents knew was that a horrible genetic tic, bi-polar disorder, would eventually rear its ugly head and cause Daniel, his family, and his friends…to truly suffer for his art.

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON is the story of Daniel’s artistic journey through creative joy and madness. Through a combination of current footage, vintage performances, home movies, and dozens of recorded audiotapes from Daniel’s life, director Jeff Feuerzeig brilliantly allows us to become enmeshed in Daniel’s inner and outer world. A world where one is perpetually exposed to the brilliant ramblings of man/child in a state of wonder about it all. I just cannot begin to tell you how struck I was by this film and its subject. The fact that I had never heard of him before makes me wonder about all the other fabulous things out there of which I’m totally clueless.

From a recent Daniel Johnston exhibit in NYC

What is so striking…so beautiful…is the purity of Daniel’s creative soul. As much as he wants to “be famous” he goes about it in a way that under normal circumstances would never have seen the light of a mass audience. For many years, he used to perform his songs by recording them live onto a little cassette recorder (what they call “low-fi” recording) and then he’d hand out his “albums” to just about everyone he met. The melodies, lyrics and exuberant performances on these cassettes are so touching and heartfelt, that you will ache with melancholy and wonder as you listen. Daniel’s songs…from unrequited love ballads to life-affirming statements of pure joy are undeniably works of genius. It is beyond stupefying that these mini-masterpieces are being created by this kid alone in his room or garage with a little cassette recorder, accompanied by primitive chord organ, piano or guitar playing…and all while he is slowly going mad.

In the mid-eighties, by a combination of luck and determination, Daniel found himself in the right place at the right time and received some exposure on MTV’s The Cutting Edge. It was here that he tasted his first bite of success and recognition. It was also here that he began his descent. We see Daniel go from a thin, spunky kid to an overweight (he became HUGE) gray-haired, older-beyond-his-years, medically challenged, bi-polar mess. The contrast is striking.

The film is peppered with testimony from supportive friends (each with fascinating Daniel stories to tell) and his loving parents, brother and sisters, which allows us to get a glimpse of what it must be like to have one such as Daniel in your midst. While his personal history makes for a fascinating story, it is Daniel’s art…comprised of his poetic songs and his drawings that tell their own fascinating story. A story that is both a heartbreaking statement about the sorrows of mental illness and a triumphant celebration of how obstacles, no matter how difficult, can be overcome.

Now in his mid 40s, Daniel Johnston still struggles with his demons, but thanks to better medication, he is able to be out and about much more often, traveling, and performing. He is also actively producing international exhibits where he continues to sell his vibrant and intimate sketches.

He is a beloved cult figure, whose work is recognized for its brilliance by some of the most well-known artists of our time. (Author’s Note: What is truly striking is when you hear his work performed by other artists. I did this by downloading the album THE LATE GREAT DANIEL JOHNSTON off itunes, where you get to hear both Daniel’s original versions of his songs and the covered versions. I highly HIGHLY recommend doing this!) He has recorded over ten full length albums, and his supporters have included Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, who was often seen wearing a Daniel Johnston t-shirt, Matt Groening, The Butthole Surfers, Sonic Youth, noted Minutemen/FIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt, David Bowie, Tom Waits, Beck, The Flaming Lips, and, hopefully do to this film, an ever-growing international audience.

From kid in his room singing alone into a cassette player, to renowned artist whose expressions have earned him worldwide recognition and critical praise, the story of Daniel Johnston is one that will move you in ways you never thought possible and open up entire new avenues of joy and wonder as you discover more and more about him and his unique world.

And to think, a few weeks ago, I’d never even heard of the guy. Isn’t life wonderful?

Authors Note:
THE ART: I recently attended and exhibit of Daniel’s artwork in Chelsea, NY. The photos are from that exhibit.
THE MUSIC: Daniel’s music is readily available for download on itunes. You can also visit two wonderful sites. His official website: www.hihowareyou.com and his fan site www.rejectedunknown.com. I have also done two radio shows dedicated to Daniel and his music. To find out more on how you can receive a copy, please write me at: dendan27@gmail.com

Credits:
Written & Directed by: Jeff Feuerzeig
Produced by: Henry S. Rosenthal
Executive Producer: Ted Hope
Original Music: Daniel Johnston
Cinematography: Fortunato Procopio
Editing: Tyler Hubby
Art Direction: Jill McGraw
Theatrical Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Cast:
Daniel Johnston: Himself
Louis Black: Himself
Mabel Johnston: Himself
Bill Johnston: Himself
Jeff Tartakov: Himself

SONY Pictures Classics

THE GIFT OF IGGY:

His films are forever embedded into my heart and soul.

Their beauty. Majesty. Depth. Vision. Courage. Humanity.

Ingmar Bergman.

My god, the mere act of typing his name gives my entire being goosebumps.

So much has been written and said about this grand master of the cinema (by some of the world’s greatest critics, and by the man himself) that my fingers tremble with apprehension and humility knowing that these very words I’m writing will now be added to that stock and stall.

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d ever get the chance to actually review the latest Bergman film simply because, after 1985’s FANNY & ALEXANDER, there was never again supposed to BE another “latest Bergman film.”

Yet, here it is. This wonderful gift called SARABAND. It exists. It was made.

And it is another Bergman masterpiece.

I know…with an intro like this, the whole idea of journalistic objectivity gets thrown out the window. Well, let it fly! I simply cannot approach any critical discussion of Bergman with the slightest degree of personal removal. This man’s films have literally changed the way I look at this thing we call “life.” If anyone were to ask me what are some of the reasons why I love being alive, I’d put the words “The Films Of Ingmar Bergman” at the almost tippy-top of that list.

Suffice to say that when it comes to Bergman and his oeuvre, those who know, know. Those who don’t know, I just feel sorry for.

THE RETURN OF IGGY:

For me, one of the true delights of SARABAND is the mere fact that it exists at all.
I didn’t know it was coming! I found out about it one day when I saw the poster while standing in the lobby of the Cinema Arts Centre, the local art movie house I often frequent in Huntington, Long Island. My goodness me…there they were…the great Erland Josephson and Liv Ullman…the quintessential Bergman performers…the stars of his SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE…standing next to each other, arm in arm, head to head, in a semi-mournful, yet also comforting embrace. Directly above their heads in large red letters…”SARABAND”…and below it…”An Ingmar Bergman Film.”

WHAT??? HUH??? BE STILL MY HEART!!! HUMINA! HUMINA! HUMINA!

A NEW Bergman film!!! Jesus, he’s gotta be in his mid-eighties!!! Who’d a-thunk it? It was my understanding that ol’ Iggy felt he’d said all he wanted to on celluloid and was devoting the rest of his remaining artistic life to the theater and books of self-reflection. (Oh…by the way…I cannot recommend highly enough Bergman’s two books about his life and work, IMAGES (his films) and THE MAGIC LANTERN (his life)…they are remarkable.) I guess the ol’ muse grabbed him by the gonads and called him to the cameras for one last fling.

And why not? I remember with great delight the feeling of joy when, at the age of 75, Akira Kurosawa gave us the majesty that is RAN. Not to mention the fact that he made THREE more films after THAT! Does it not give us all hope when we see great works of art still being created by the masters, well into their 7th and 8th decades? It just doesn’t get any more life affirming than that.

After a bit of research, I learned that SARABAND was a sequel of sorts to SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, picking up the story thirty years after the divorce of the two main characters. How cool is that? My mind was all a flutter with the story possibilities such a scenario could create. Of course, what made it all the more exciting was the fact that after almost 20 years of cinematic silence, Bergman was about to let his voice be heard again…a voice that would be adding whatever he himself had learned in the 20 years he had cinematically been absent from our lives. What was Iggy bringing to the table now? What would he be teaching us about ourselves?

THE STYLE OF IGGY:

From the moment you hear the first Bach musical notes sublimely emanating from a Cello on the soundtrack, you know you’re in Bergmanland. I couldn’t believe how taken I was by this recognition…this instant sense of being in his cinematic world.
It was emotionally devastating for me. “My god, he’s back. Thank you! Thank you!”

SARABAND is a story about regret, lost chances, selfishness and greed. It is told through four major characters. The film is essentially a ten-act play (no surprise from this greatest of theater directors) in which there are no more than two characters per act. Each act/vignette begins with a black screen, the sounds of a cello, and an epitaph designed to help set the emotional mood for what we are about to witness. The film essentially deals with the reunion between the characters of Marianne (Ullman) and Johan (Josephson), (who Bergman fans already know from SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, although knowledge of that film is not necessary to enjoy this one) and the relationship between Johan and his hated son Henrik (Borje Ahlstedt), as well as Henrik’s obsessive relationship with his nineteen-year old daughter Karin (Julia Dufvenius). The way in which all four of these characters interlock with each other is pure Bergman. It is one of the films great delights to see these actors play off each other using what can only be described as that one of a kind, highly stylized and totally intense Bergmanesque cinema acting technique. Since the camera only has two characters to look at in each scene, we get to examine every facial tick, every pore, every breath of these superb actors as they battle with each other in a macabre dance of family dysfunction, grief and turmoil.

IGGY PLOT POINTS:

For reasons even she herself cannot explain, Marianne is compulsively drawn towards wanting to see her ex-husband again after thirty years. When she visits him, she not only becomes a part of Johan’s life again, but the life of his granddaughter, a gifted cellist, who lives in a house on Johan’s country estate with her father Henrik, Johan’s son, who is her musical teacher, mentor and tormentor.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, IGGY?

So, what was he finally trying to say? What drove him, after 20 years, to come back to us? Perhaps SARABAND is a message about appreciating what you have in life, and cherishing it. Maybe it’s about how regret can be so soul crushing; we should do our best to avoid creating situations in life where regret may leer its ugly head. Maybe he was just trying to say that no matter how long we live, human beings will never really have it all figured out, this thing called life…and perhaps we never will.

Message or no message, what does it matter? SARABAND is ours now. Ours to cherish, absorb, think about and enjoy for as long as we are deemed worthy to exist by whatever powers that be…if any. I think even Ingmar would appreciate that kind of positive thinking.

Cast:
Liv Ullman: Marianne
Erkand Josephson: Johan
Borje Ahlstedt: Henrik
Julia Dufvenius: Karin
Gunnel Fred: Martha

Credits:
Written & Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Producers: Pia Ehrnvall
Editor: Sylvia Ingemarsson
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner
Design: Goran Wassberg

Universal Pictures / A Wingnut Films production
MPAA rating PG-13 / Running time 188 minutes

THE ANTICIPATION:
I was talking with my colleague and friend Mark Ross about the disappointing first day box office tally on Peter Jackson’s new remake of KING KONG. Like many, I thought it would turn out to be #1 or at least #2 of all time. After all, the buzz was astonishing! All over the Internet I was reading about how wonderful the film was and how big it was going to be! The next TITANIC! The trailer and scenes that have been posted, along with all the hype and history about the production on kongisking.net had Mark and I salivating in eager anticipation! We knew it was going to be a history-making-blockbuster-first-day-of-release-cash-cow.

Not so.

It ranks #21 on the all time list…with films like POKEMAN THE MOVIE and MEN IN BLACK II beating it out! I was quite astonished by this. Not Mark. He said, “Well, I don’t find that to be so strange. After all, anyone under 40 probably doesn’t care as much about the film as we do. We grew up with it.” What he said really made me think, “Geez, how true! And…how sad.” That means that the original 1933 film is slowly sinking into the cultural abyss. A place where it won’t be held with the same reverence by the same number of people.

Link here to see the overall first day take and list rating: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/days/?page=wed&p=.htm

When I was a youngster, back in the days when there were only 8 TV channels, the 1933 KING KONG was a staple of the holiday season, New York’s channel 9 used to run KING KONG every Thanksgiving, along with SON OF KONG and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. It was the major reason why I loved Thanksgiving!!! These movies were ingrained into my DNA. There was even a glorious time when Channel 9’s Million Dollar Movie would run KING KONG at the same time, 5 days a week! Let’s face it; KING KONG was an annual event…a monumental moment of epic bliss. I also was in love with Fay Wray. She was hot, bro! To this day, the scene where KONG peels off her clothes and smells his finger is quite the turn on. The helpless white woman in the clutches of the monster! It still gives me wood.

Most important of all, it was scary. Honest. The black and white cinematography, the jungle, the monsters, the death and destruction…all heavy stuff. The special effects were, in a word, “charming.” I mean, we all knew it was a stop motion animated ape, but Willis O’Brien gave him life, character and depth.

Mark and I work at an advertising agency in New York. We are media junkies. We are also huge film fanatics, with KONG being at the top of the list. Our coworkers have become sick and tired of us talking about it! Our offices are filled with posters, models…even our desktops and screensavers are all about KONG. The trailers and photos for the new film gave us chills. I actually wept when I saw the shot of KONG jumping up and knocking the shit out of one of the planes. Man oh man…we couldn’t WAIT to see what Peter Jackson was going to do! It was a no-lose scenario! He was turned on to the film as a child like we were. He was going to maintain its reverence, time period and philosophy. He was going to update it without ruining it (like Dino did with his remake…Jessica Lange not withstanding.)

I dug into the first few reviews that were posted online two days before the official release. Most critics simply adored it. In fact, it received the most universal praise I’ve seen in a long time. Except for some gripes about the length, all looked well.

I actually took a half-day off to make sure I was able to see KING KONG on its first day of release without having to wait on long lines. I bought my ticket online to make double sure I got a seat. The night before the glorious day I could hardly sleep with the excitement churning inside me.

Then…there I was. In my seat…dead center, half way up from the screen. The theater was only half full, since it was a workday and 11AM. No crying kids. No crowd of idiots talking loudly as if they were in their living rooms. It could not be more perfect. I was in heaven! Bring on the ape!

THE REVIEW:
Rather than give a story synopsis that is familiar to all, I will concentrate on elements.

From the moment the credits begin, with their overall sense of 1930’s graphic design and kitsch, it is very apparent that Peter Jackson’s remake of KING KONG is going to treat its time period, setting and familiar storyline with reverence and respect, as well as a heartfelt belief in the magical wonders of the cinema.

The recreation of 1930’s New York is dead on, from the Hobo shantytowns, to the period clothing, to the language cadences of the time. In an effort to update the storyline while still maintaining respect for its familiar themes and history, Jackson chose to elaborate on the background of his characters. Ann Darrow is now a vaudevillian hoofer who has fallen on hard times. As played by Naomi Watts, she is the beautiful heart of the film and her performance is top notch, moving and believable. Yes…even within the midst of this cockamamie story…SHE is BELIEVABLE.

Carl Denham is still the megalomaniac movie producer/director of the original, but his motivations have become a bit more sleazy and egotistically self-centered. There’s a touch of Orson Welles in actor Jack Black’s eyes. Point of fact, I couldn’t really buy Jack Black as Carl Denham. He just felt miscast. Not that I don’t like Black…he can be quite engaging and hysterically funny in the right role. But Carl Denham he is not. He waters down the fire and machismo that Robert Armstrong brought to the 1933 version of the role and comes off as a bit of a fat creep.

Jack Driscoll has been upgraded from a first mate to a playwright (a la Eugene O’Neill) who is ship-napped by Denham so he can help write the screenplay as it happens during the adventure. As played by Adrian Brody, he is kinda foppish and doesn’t really have much to do but give Ann goo-goo eyes and always show up too late to save her.

Where I believe Jackson made a mistake is introducing other characters and plot elements that do nothing but slow down the first hour of the film. These include a father-figure type character to Ann that is neither explained, nor further developed after his initial appearance. A relationship between a sailor and a young boy is also introduced in an effort to make you care more about these shipmate characters destined to become dinosaur munchies, bug feces, etc. The sailor (who also happens to be an African-American) has taken this boy under his wing to teach him the wonders of literature (he has him reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness), which allows for bravery and courage metaphors galore when they arrive on the island.

I can’t help but wonder…did Jackson give this black sailor such cultural depth and intelligence to negate the stereotypes of the black man from that period in film history…not to mention an attempt to dilute that other tired old metaphor about KONG being a symbolic representation of the black who was stolen from his native land, put in chains and sold to slavery and torture? And let’s not even get into all that stuff about the black man kidnapping the lily-white woman, etc. etc. All I know is…it didn’t work, slowed things down, and was unnecessary.

Which brings us to KONG.

Mere words cannot describe the awe and majesty this CGI created giant gorilla encompasses. As digitally played by Andy Serkis, KONG is a revelation! For a creature that doesn’t even exist except in a computer, he has tremendous warmth, rage and…dare I say it…humanity. He is simply the most astonishing artificial creation I have ever seen in the cinema. Jackson pulled no punches and pulled out all the stops to create a KING KONG that is magical, believable and heartbreaking. From the moment he enters the screen, to his horrible death atop the Empire State Building, we are totally with him as a character and doomed figure. It is here that Jackson has performed a cinematic miracle. The team at WETA, Jackson’s FX Company, has done more than just create a KING KONG for the 21st Century, they have literally played GOD! KONG is REAL! 100% REAL! In every way imaginable. You BELIEVE. Regardless of the fact that no such creature has ever existed, you find yourself so totally enraptured by his presence and visual reality, that you become lost in it. What a tremendous feat of moviemaking! To create something so beautiful, so detailed, so utterly real, that you don’t even think about the fact that he doesn’t exist. HE DOES EXIST! This, combined with Naomi Watts empathy and connection to this non-existent CGI created KONG, make this story the greatest example of the Beauty and the Beast parable that has ever been filmed. The scenes between Ann Darrow and KONG are like watching a silent movie. It is all done through body language, facial expressions and eye contact. (I even read an article where a zoologist who studies apes was totally convinced in the KONG’s artificially created authenticity.)

There are scenes between KONG and Ann that are beautifully corny, yet heartbreaking. I don’t want to spoil it for you…you’ll know what they are.

THE ISLAND SCENES:
The island scenes in the jungle have their positive and negative aspects.

The Negatives: Did we really need a dinosaur stampede, with the giant behemoths falling all over each other in huge piles so fast and furious I couldn’t get focused on how they really looked? I know that Jackson wants to take out his paint box and dazzle the shit out of us, but sometimes it gets to be a bit too much! After going through so much to establish KONG’s believability as a character, he killed some of that credibility because NO ONE would have been able to survive being in the middle of a brontosaurus stampede, with a bunch of carnivorous dinos thrown in for good measure, snapping and clawing at our helpless heroes. I would have preferred he stuck to the original 1933 idea of running into a variety of dinosaurs, and having just one brontosaurus chasing after the men, both in the raft sequence (not repeated here) and the chase sequence. I know…I know…Jackson is trying to up the ante. Slow down son…we know you can impress us. Too much of a good thing Peter!

The Positives: The entire sequence with the T-Rex’s. Now, it’s not just one, but THREE! And KONG fights them all with Ann in his hand! This scene is just astonishing. I don’t want to give away much. All I can say is, he updates it magnificently in a very unique and believable way.

We also get the scene that was originally cut from the 1933 version where the men are attacked by giant spiders and bugs after being thrown from the log into the ravine.
This scene is truly horrifying and gut wrenching. (SPECIAL NOTE: Jackson’s team also re-created this edited scene for the 1933 version and it can be found in the extras section of the recent DVD release. It is lovingly recreated based on original models and storyboards. A true work of love and respect.)

Oh…and the natives are no longer stereotypical black jungle boogiemen. They are now a frightening clan of zombie-like aborigines. Chill inducing to the bone!

THE NEW YORK CITY STREET SCENES:
It is here where Jackson really shines. 1933 New York is lovingly reproduced, right down to the marquees and lights of Times Square. The scenes of KONG in chains on stage are given an all-new twist that works beautifully. He is a pathetic creature in these scenes…chained and miserable as a vaudeville show is performed in front of him. Jackson pays wonderful homage to the original by having the show be a recreation of the capture and jungle dance scenes from the 1933 film…including the same costumes and Max Steiner score. For those who know and love the 1933 film, it is a true delight.

Once KONG escapes and starts looking for Ann, we are given a spectacle of rage and destruction on the street of New York that is unmatched by any other monster-on-the-rampage-in-a-city film creation. KONG flings cars, destroys buildings, grabs and tosses people with reckless abandon. When he finds Ann, they have moments of tenderness and, believe it or not, fun, that will not leave one dry eye in the house.

And it all leads up to…

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING SCENE:
I am at a loss for words to describe how right, how dead on, how magnificent, and how awe-inspiring this…one of the most iconic scenes in all of cinema…is recreated by Jackson. As I’ve mentioned before in this critique…it is 100% REAL. Jackson elongates the scene to give us every angle, every situation, every nuance we could ever ask for in this last moment on earth for KONG. I was totally captivated, mouth agape. I kept thinking,”I’m so lucky to be alive. To be able to sit here, in this theater, and see how this master craftsman has re-created this pinnacle moment in film history, giving it new life and depth and meaning.” It is the crowning achievement of the film and one of the most breathtaking, heartbreaking, amazing scenes I’ve ever seen put to film. You are THERE…at the top of the Empire State Building, with a giant ape fighting off biplanes. From every angle and point of reference, you are given a visual delight that is both beautiful and horrifyingly sad.

Peter Jackson’s KING KONG is the work of a man who is paying loving tribute to a film he loves, taking his audience along for the homage. If you loved the 1933 original, you’ll respect his efforts. For those who don’t hold the original film in any particular regard, you will just enjoy a great movie experience.

Flawed but still fabulous, this KING KONG is truly a wonder of the cinematic world.

KONGAHOLICS, Mark Ross & Dennis Daniel. Photo taken by Adam DiLernia

MARK ROSS, Dennis Daniel’s friend, chimes in….

I agree about Jack Black’s character. But all Jackson had to do about this
“fat creep” was have him in tears at the ending with realization that his
own self-destructive persona killed the most marvelous thing mankind had
ever seen.

The young boy and other characters on the boat would have worked better
had they been shown them in tuxedos at the introduction of Kong to the NYC audience.

Musical score. Coming out of the silent film era, there was more reliance on
music to support the imagery rather than sound effects. The original score,
especially at the ending, was much more dramatic and plot-enhancing, right
down to Kong’s landing on the 34th street.

King Kong is a baby-boomer infatuation. Given the current technologies of
1933, right through the 50′s and 60′s and 70′s when we watched Kong every
Thanksgiving, the stop animation worked, it WAS believable. This summer when I forced my sons (David and Daniel) to watch Kong one night in Montauk Point, they would laugh at the original versionwhen the crew fell into the ravine and bounce like Raggedy-Ann dolls, or when Kong fell and bounced several times off the ledges of the Empire State Building. I must agree, this could have been handled better. Recently, when I asked to see how excited they were to see Jackson’s version, they were disinterested. OUCH. “We don’t want to see a gorilla movie”, they said. OUCH. “But Jackson did this one, I said, hoping to win them over. “SOOOO?” they said. OUCH. With that, I fell off the Empire State Building. Fact is , I know when they see this version, they will thoroughly enjoy it. But it is unlikely they will give me the satisfaction of saying so. After all, teenage boys love not liking what their fathers like. It goes with the territory.

I am sure Jackson attempted to rectify a couple of mankind’s darkest moments. One being slavery. Having an African-American ship-mate who is well read mentoring a young white boy is a clear attempt to kill off an unacceptable part of human history which was symbolically documented in the original. Additionally, having Jack Driscoll become a sensitive screen-writer instead of a Bogart like tough guy is clearly an attempt to show that men have changed. (I always thought Kong was an analogy of the machismo in man.) The male lead actor’s role was an attempt to show just how foolish and untrue the tough guy really is further supporting this feeling.

---

Cast:
Ann Darrow: Naomi Watts
Carl Denham: Jack Black
Jack Driscoll: Adrien Brody
Capt. Englehorn: Thomas Kretschmann
Preston: Colin Hanks
Kong/Lumpy: Andy Serkis
Hayes: Evan Parke
Jimmy: Jamie Bell

Credits:
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriters: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Based on the story by: Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace
Producers: Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Director of photography: Andrew Lesnie
Production designer: Grant Major
Music: James Newton Howard
Co-producers: Philippa Boyens, Eileen Moran
Costumes: Terry Ryan
Editors: Jamie Selkirk, Jabez Olssen

]]> http://www.filmsinreview.com/2005/12/05/king-kong-dennis/feed/ 0 http://www.filmsinreview.com/2005/11/08/the-devils-rejects/ http://www.filmsinreview.com/2005/11/08/the-devils-rejects/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2005 08:10:27 +0000 Dennis Daniel http://www.filmsinreview.com/archives/2005/11/08/the-devils-rejects/

Okay, I admit it. I am a sick, twisted individual who enjoys taking forays into the cinematic dark side. I know I am not alone since horror movies are currently making their 7-year-cycle comeback. Case in point, a tremendous roster of horrific film releases…theatrical, pay cable and direct-to-video that are bubbling in the vats waiting to be released to the thrill-happy unwashed masses.

When a genre great like George Romero finally receives enough backing and clout to do yet another living dead film (19 years after the last one), it’s more than obvious that the money suits think horror is worth the investment.

Which takes us to Rob Zombie’s THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, the semi-sequel to his 2002 labor of love HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES. While his first film was a fun ride, it lacked many of the qualities that make good cinema…things like a coherent plot, dialogue, and a point. What it turned out to be was a kaleidoscope of wonderful set pieces and images slapped together by a “superfan.” Anyone familiar with Zombie’s music and videos would know that ol’ Robbie is obsessed with all things horror and exploitation. The kitschier, low budget, B-Movie-ish the better. HOUSE OF possessed the soul of every grainy, 70′s exploitation film. As you watched it unfold, you recognized every loving tribute. Yet the sum did not equal the parts in a way that made it original or vital.

What a difference a few years makes.

THE DEVIL’S REJECTS is EVERYTHING his first film was not. In fact, it is everything every other lame recent cinematic remake attempt at capturing the look and feel of that time is not. It is original, funny, clever, brutal, colorful, scary, thought- provoking and freakin’ fabulous. It’s hard to believe it was made by the same guy who directed that first film. Point of fact, it is the work of someone with such a complete understanding of the source material that it reads like an actual product of that time in every way…from the acting to the cinematography to the music. It is a searing, faithful homage to everything from THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE to BONNIE AND CLYDE, with spaghetti westerns thrown in for good measure. I was so awash in it’s glories that I nearly wept with joy! Zombie has made an instant classic of its kind that speaks a language steeped in 70′s exploitation film glories. To love THE DEVIL’S REJECTS is to love everything about 70′s exploitation cinema, in all its sleaziness, debauchery and beauty! Zombie’s textbook understanding of the genre is spot-on perfect! More so than any other attempt I have ever seen.

Oh, uh…by the way…it helps tremendously if you do indeed love 70′s exploitation films…otherwise, the whole enterprise may hit you over the head like a ten ton block of blood engorged entrails.

To put it another way, it’s not for everyone.

Warning: Watch at the risk of your immortal soul. Heh-heh-heh.

There are no redeeming characters. No sympathy. No logic. No reason. It is a full throttle attack on the senses featuring four of the most loathsome, diabolical, sick, twisted, soulless characters ever put on screen. They kill innocents with such tremendous love and glee, you actually feel guilty watching. You’ll say to yourself, “Why I am enjoying this? What kind of sick individual am I that I am sitting here, grinning from ear to ear, loving every minute of the carnage and horror being flashed before my peepers?” But, love it I did, and I’m going to try to explain why.

THE CAST
This is a genre smorgasbord, utterly delightful and fulfilling. Zombie has filled his film with a potpourri of genre greats! It is a feast for the eyes to see these familiar faces wallowing in this joyful, blood-drenched, unredeemable filth! The heart, soul and sickness of the film resides within the capable bosom of Sid Haig. This 70′s exploitation genre heavyweight powerhouse portrays the delightfully twisted mass murderer clown, Captain Spaulding. (Oh, by the way, many of the characters’ names are based on Groucho Marx characters!) Haig is the film’s true delight! He is hysterical in his portrayal of a character that has all the iconic presence of a Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers or insert-famous-film-monster-villain-killer-here. ! Haig’s Spaulding has some of the funniest and most ruthless lines, delivered in a very demented, irascible, tongue-in-bitten-cheek manner. His clown make-up is downright creepy and he enjoys wearing it 90% of the time, especially during sex and/or murder. He is the pater familias of the Firefly clan. (Rufus T. Firefly…get it?) A more murderous, dysfunctional family does not exist in the annals of cinema. Members include his son Otis, played with intense violent Charles Mansonesque sickness and murderous humor by Bill Moseley, his daughter Baby, played by Zombie’s too-sexy-for-words and too-twisted-for-details real wife Sheri Moon Zombie…she of the dimpled ass and curly tresses, and Mother Firefly, essayed by the beautiful but deadly Leslie Easterbrook, who gives an insane performance of epic proportions.

The plot is simplicity itself. This sicko family of mass murderers is on the run from the law throughout the film; pursued by a revenge seeking Sheriff (whose brother was killed by the family in the first film), played to the southern Alabama ass-kicking hilt by the great character actor William Forsythe. It is a mayhem-filled road/chase picture that follows them on their trail of debauchery and terror, running into a variety of genre actors and actresses, gleefully killing them all in the process. When I realized their first innocent murder victim was none other than Mary Woronov, the Warhol superstar and EATING RAOUL accomplice to Paul Bartel, I knew I was in a place that was going to feel familiar, cozy and fun.

Along the way, we get dynamite doses of familiar genre faces like Michael Berryman (THE HILLS GAVE EYES), Steve Railsback (HELTER SKELTER, LIFEFORCE), Ken Foree (DAWN OF THE DEAD), Tom Towles (HENRY, PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER), P.J. Soles (ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, HALLOWEEN), Ginger Lynn Allen (70′s & 80′s porn star supreme), Geoffrey Lewis (ANY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE), Priscilla Barnes (THREE’S COMPANY), and EG Daily (Singer and voice of many cartoons, most famously Tommy of RUGRATS). This is only a partial list of the cast delights. Of course, if you don’t know any of these actors, it in no way detracts from the film’s power and authenticity. But knowing them makes it seem like every scene reveals another delicious Cracker Jack movie prize!

By casting these tried and true genre dynamos, Zombie not only pays homage, but also gives them a new vehicle that allows them to expand their abilities by playing original characters. You are not reminded of any of their previous roles. It is only their faces and presence that provide the first wave of recognition.

THE STYLE:
Zombie and his cinematographer Phil Parmet create the kind of grainy, 16mm, fuzzy feel that was a staple of 70′s exploitation films. Throughout the entire movie I just kept nodding my head, saying, “This feels so right! This feels so 70′s!” Yet, it was not shoved in my face. It just had a natural flow that really made me feel as if the film WAS made in the 70′s. Even the acting style, editing choices, sets and costumes give off a 70′s feel that was truly striking. There is no doubt that much time and effort was placed on making this film seem like a living, breathing time tunnel. You can almost smell the stale popcorn, feel the sticky floors, see the soda-splashed screen and hear the moaning of dates doing nasty things three rows behind you.

THE MUSIC:
All 70′s, all the time! The credit sequence is cut to the Allman Brothers classic “Midnight Rider,” and it works beautifully. Alternating between footage that is occasionally freeze-framed (in true 70′s style) as the action takes place (a car-napping/murder), this really sets the tone for all to follow. Other classic songs include the David Essex standard “Rock On,” Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” and a rousing finale cut to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic “Freebird.” The soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission, and Zombie weaves it in and out of the film seamlessly.

THE FX
In the grand tradition of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, much of the violence is implied rather than shown directly. However, when it is shown (and yes, it truly is in some scenes), it is brutal, unnerving and realistic. A jolt!

What I found most amazing about this film is the way it slowly makes you actually CARE about these horrible people…. more so than you ever care about their victims.
In fact, the victims seem stupid and worthless for a variety of reasons. They’re all just kinda dumb hick-like cannon fodder. I know this is going to sound sick, but it’s true…I didn’t want to see any harm come to the Firefly clan! I loved them! Perhaps it’s because as evil and horrible as they were, they derived such unbelievable joy and rapture from what they were doing that you just kinda join in mentally. Just as Shakespeare created his Richard III to be a murderous psychopath, we still love him because he speaks to the audience and lets us join in on his feelings and reasons. He’s letting us in on the hell and it’s actually sorta cool. After all, we all have a bit of evil in us now, don’t we? Doesn’t mean we have to act it out…that’s why movies like these are so popular: they’re cathartic.

THE DEVIL’S REJECTS is a genre film that respects its history and pays loving homage to it, while creating an entirely new kind of mythos and fun house freak-out that is true to itself and wholly original. Rob Zombie has done what so many others with their remakes and re-imaginings have tried and failed to do…he has created a homage that is a classic unto itself.

UNRATED DOUBLE DISC DVD EXTRAS:
This baby is packed with them! Blooper reel, Deleted scenes, Stills, Trailers, TV spots, music videos, a tribute to Matthew McGrory (the giant actor who plays “tiny” and died not long after the film was completed) and full versions of some fake TV broadcasts created for the film for the characters to watch, which shows the meticulous detail Zombie employed to get the mood just right. Along with a very informative director’s commentary, as well as a rousing cast commentary track, you’ll be able to delve deep into the heart of the film, it’s cast and crew, via an extensive 144 minute (longer than the film itself) documentary on the making of THE DEVIL’S REJECTS entitled 30 DAYS IN HELL: THE MAKING OF THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. This impressive addition allows the viewer to really get an idea of what these folks went through on a daily basis to bring this sick puppy to life. Blood soaked kudos to all!

Cast:
Captain Spaulding: Sid Haig
Otis: Bill Moseley
Baby: Sheri Moon Zombie
Charlie Altamont: Ken Foree
Tiny: Matthew McGrory
Mother Firefly: Leslie Easterbrook
Roy Sullivan: Geoffrey Lewis
Gloria Sullivan: Priscilla Barnes
Sheriff John Wydell: William Forsythe
Wendy Banjo: Kate Norby
Adam Banjo: Lew Temple
Danny Trejo: Rondo
Clevon: Michael Berryman
Susan: P.J. Soles:
Abbie: Mary Woronov:
Sheriff Ken Dwyer Steve Railsback:
Candy: EG Daily:
Sheriff George Wydell: Tom Towles:

Credits:
Director: Rob Zombie
Producers: Mike Elliot, Rob Zombie, Andy Gould, Michael Ohoven,
Marco Mehilitz
Prod. Co. Cinerenta
Screenplay: Rob Zombie
Photography: Phil Parmet
Editor: Glenn Garland
Sound: Buck Robinson
Music: Tyler Bates
Art Director: Timothy Kirkpatrick
Costumes: Yasmine Abraham